How to fix an electric coffee grinder

In addition to electronics, parts in coffee grinders often cause breakdowns: they become clogged, sour, etc. To clean and at the same time check all contacts, the coffee grinder will have to be disassembled. This is done quite simply: remove the bottom, then the screw and the bowl.

Device

All coffee grinders are divided into two types according to the grinding method: burr grinders and rotary screw grinders. There are also differences between manual and electric, but the latter have firmly and thoroughly supplanted their mechanical counterparts.

What does a rotary electric coffee grinder consist of:

• frame,
• metal bowl,
• two-, less often four-blade propeller,
• transmitting rod,
• motor and wire
• lid.

This is how both expensive and cheap models are designed: “Bosch”, “Mikmah”. Soviet electric coffee grinders were also assembled in the same way.

To disassemble them, you need to follow these steps:

1. Remove the cover.
2. Detach the bottom. In Soviet devices it is fixed with screws using a Phillips screwdriver; in modern devices it is usually simply pryed off and removed.
3. Tighten the locking screw in the center with a screwdriver.
4. Carefully unscrew the rotor screw with your hand or a pair of narrow-nose pliers (in the same direction in which it grinds the coffee).
5. Remove the screw and bowl.
6. Dismantle the main body.

Important
Before disassembling the coffee grinder, it must be disconnected from the power supply.

Burr coffee grinders are generally disassembled according to the same principle.

Delonghi KG 79:

1. Use a screwdriver to pry it off and remove all the turntables.
2. Use the same method to disconnect the bottom (it is advisable to get on the 4 stopper teeth).
3. Unscrew the 4 screws around the perimeter and remove the top part.

Fiorenzato F64E:

1. Remove the coffee tank (cup).
2. Remove the remaining grains with a spoon and then with a vacuum cleaner.
3. Remove the disc that regulates the grinding (rotating clockwise).
4. Remove the upper stationary blade of the millstone.
5. For further cleaning, remove the shock-absorbing springs.

Depending on the model and brand, the algorithm will be slightly different; purity-en.htgetrid.com magazine recommends following the instructions for the specific model.

Causes of breakdowns and prevention

The simplest and most common cause of malfunction of any coffee grinder is clogging. Powder and external debris often get under the propeller and get stuck there; in cheap models, they accumulate inside the housing, threatening the motor with overheating.

Sometimes the device refuses to work not because of a breakdown, but because of sensitive sensors. Modern rotary coffee grinders are equipped with fuses that prevent the motor from starting if the lid is not completely closed. If coffee powder gets into the grooves for the spikes, the sensors detect insufficient tightness. Such a gap is often not noticeable to the eye.

If you use the device for purposes other than its intended purpose, for example, grinding salt or pepper, there is a high probability of jamming the rotary screw. Salt also causes rust, which is not at all desirable. To wash the bushing and screw, it is better to use alcohol, which evaporates quickly and does not increase the humidity inside the device.

Burr coffee grinders are more likely to suffer from electronic malfunctions than from clogging. In particular, the capacitor fails - it can be completely replaced if you have a soldering iron and solder in the house; it is not difficult to find an analogue in any radio parts store.

Coffee grinder electrical fault analysis Zauber Z-490 - in the video below.

There are also complaints on forums that the rotation screw does not unscrew.If it is clogged at the axle or rusted, it is enough to dab it with alcohol and leave it for a while. If the plastic base in which the blades are held is flattened or otherwise deformed, it will either have to be drilled out or a screw/nail fused into it and then removed.

Prevention

To avoid problems, just follow a few simple rules:

1. Store the device in a dry place, do not wash, but only sweep or wipe.
2. Clean the device from time to time (small ones with a brush or brush, large ones with a vacuum cleaner and a brush), this is vital for millstone models; semi-professional devices need general cleaning every 2000 servings.
3. Do not exceed the permissible load, this applies to both the volume of loaded grains and the duration of one grinding session. The instructions for most rotary coffee grinders indicate a limit of 2-5 seconds, after which the device needs to “rest” for the same amount of time.
4. Use the device only for its intended purpose.

Modern coffee grinders are often more powerful than Soviet ones, but are inferior to them in terms of durability, especially when it comes to rotary ones. Millstones are designed for more frequent use, but, as practice shows, they are often let down by electronics. Today there are many service centers ready to service the coffee grinder, but if you follow simple rules, the unit will last a long time without repair.